1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for padding pipe. More particularly, the present invention relates to a pipeline padding apparatus which is faster and more efficient than those heretofore known.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A large demand exists in contemporary society for underground piping, which is used to convey fluids from one location to another. Such piping is commonly coated with plastic or an equivalent protective substance to prevent it from corroding while it is in the ground.
To lay such pipe, an excavation is first usually made with a back hoe or the like, and excavated rocks and soil, which is commonly called spoil, is piled to one side of the excavation. After the pipe is laid in the excavation, the excavation must be filled in by the spoil. However, it is important that large rocks in the spoil do not come into contact with the pipeline, which might breach the coating and cause unnecessary corrosion of the pipeline. For this reason, it is common to fill in the portion of the excavation surrounding the pipe with fine material which is separated out of the spoil. This process is known as padding and, in the past, has been a time consuming and expensive stage of laying an underground pipeline.
It is clear that there has existed a long and unfilled need in the prior art for an apparatus and method for padding pipe which is adaptable to various types of terrain, is effective at preventing accidental dislodging of rocks into an excavation during use, and has a simple and efficient mechanism for separating fine material out of the spoil and transporting it into the excavation.